Samsung launches Galaxy Note8

Attempts to restore faith in the Note brand following the Note7’s exploding battery issues last year

The Galaxy Note8 has been launched by Samsung, as the company hopes to put memories of the Note7 to bed following the exploding battery debacle last year.

With the Galaxy Note8, consumers get a bigger Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, S Pen to communicate in more personal ways, and Samsung’s best-ever smartphone camera to capture stunning photos, the company said.

Samsung first introduced the Note series in 2011. Since then, a community of enthusiasts emerged through their affinity for the Note’s signature expansive screen and S Pen. However, the company struggled with the previous Note, some of which exploded while in use by customers. Samsung warned customers at the time not to charge the Samsung Galaxy Note7 until a replacement was made for the potentially dangerous smartphones, which were banned from many situations, including on planes.

The company also suffered a financial fallout following the Samsung Galaxy Note7 debacle, not only from the device replacements, but on the market’s mistrust of the brand. Commented Lauren Guenveur, consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel shortly before Mobile World Congress this year: “Loyalty to [Samsung] in the US in the fourth quarter was 62%, the lowest level seen since before the launch of the Galaxy S6 in the first quarter of 2015, when it was 58%. Intention to purchase was down as well, with 32% of smartphone owners planning to purchase a device in the next six months intending to buy a Samsung, down from a high of 40% in January 2016.”

In a bid to encourage sales, Samsung commented today that, “Samsung continues to uphold its commitment to lead the industry in battery safety. The Galaxy Note8’s battery has undergone Samsung’s 8-Point Battery Safety Check, the most rigorous in the industry.”

Commented Sajeev Jesudas, president, UL International, a global independent safety science company: “We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung and helping ensure device safety for all consumers.”

Since its introduction, the S Pen has been one of the Note’s defining features. With the Galaxy Note8, the enhanced S Pen unlocks entirely new ways to write, draw, and interact with the phone and communicate with friends. It has a finer tip, improved pressure sensitivity, and features that enable users to express themselves.

With the Galaxy Note8, users can now share animated texts or drawings across platforms that support animated GIFs. It’s a whole new way to communicate with the S Pen, adding lively and emotional connections that bring messages to life.

The Always On Display allows Galaxy users to stay on top of their notifications without unlocking their phone. And with the Galaxy Note8, it’s even more powerful. Screen off memo allows you to take up to one hundred pages of notes as soon as you remove the S Pen, pin notes to the Always On Display and make edits directly from the Always On Display.

For overseas travels, the improved S Pen Translate feature lets you hover over text to quickly translate not only individual words, but entire sentences in up to 71 languages, and instantly convert units and foreign currencies.

Also, for most consumers, one of the things they look for when purchasing a new device is the camera. Samsung set the standard for smartphone cameras and with the Galaxy Note8, Samsung claimed it is delivering its most powerful smartphone camera yet. The Galaxy Note8 is the first smartphone with two 12MP rear cameras with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) on both the wide angle and telephoto lenses.

In Dual Capture mode, both rear cameras take two pictures simultaneously and allow users to save both images; one close-up shot from the telephoto lens and one wide angle shot that shows the entire background. The wide-angle lens has a Dual Pixel sensor with rapid Auto Focus, so users can capture sharper, clearer shots even in low-light environments. The Galaxy Note8 is also equipped with an 8MP Smart Auto Focus front-facing camera for sharp selfies and video chats.

The Galaxy Note8 has the biggest screen ever on a Note device, yet its narrow body makes it comfortable to hold in one hand. The 6.3 inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display lets users see more and scroll less.

Note users have long been able to do more with Multi Window. With the Galaxy Note8, the new App Pair feature lets users choose a pair of apps and place the pairing on the Edge panel, giving them the ability to simultaneously launch the two apps with ease.

Additionally, the phone includes water and dust resistance (IP685) on the device and the S Pen; advanced wireless charging capabilities; a choice of biometric authentication options including iris and fingerprint scanning, plus Samsung Knox7; 6GB RAM, a 10nm processor, and expandable memory (up to 256GB)8, you have the power you need to browse, stream, play games, and multitask.

About Smart Chimps

Smart Chimps is the creation of freelance editor, writer and media trainer, Heather McLean. Heather has been involved in telecoms journalism since 2001, specialising in mobile since 2002. Find out more